Six+ years of blogging the retro, and this is the first time we’ve ever seen one of these: A Youngstown Kitchens hutch. Yes, apparently this was a purpose-built design — not something cobbled together. Reason we think so: The decorative back splash of the hutch is steel — yes, the part that is painted out to look like tile and which sports the Youngstown label. This is a great little piece of steel kitchen cabinet history.
Like I said, this piece was posted for sale on our Forum. The main ad is on craiglist. Who’s going to buy it!!!???
The piece is in Nashville. The ad says:
I have an original 1950s Youngstown Kitchen hutch red and white.
The front left door needs a new screw to hold door on, and the red top has blemishes from normal wear and tear. The top and bottom separate.
It’s in fantastic shape for its age. I have yet to find anything like this, make me an offer. Email if interested.
In my followup email to get better photos, and permission to use them, the owner told me:
Hiya! Yes, the “tile” is metal. I’ll get more photos just as soon as I can. I actually found this at a yard sale in Delaware.
I LOVE this era, and I can’t find anything about Youngstown hutch’s on the web. Nothing! So I thought I might have a rare piece on my hands…
Note: The chrome pulls on this vintage hutch are an earlier style of Youngstown. I’d need to go find my catalogs and work to identify the date when the switch was made to the chevrons (see below).
The hutch — in wood — or as a Hoosier cabinet — was such a longtime kitchen staple that trying it out in steel makes perfect sense. I am mostly surprised we haven’t seen more of them.
Rare Youngstown sink
Remember this other Youngstown woddity (wonderful-oddity) discovered a ways back? The Youngstown Servi-Center:
I can only surmise that: Youngstown Kitchens was such a big company (the biggest them all), that they experimented with items such as this.
Cool.
Eartha Kitsch says
That’s rad! I’m in Nashville but have searched the house twice and have no room to put it. : ( I especially love those two tiny shelves on the side.
Kim Campbell says
Eartha! I have been a reader if your blog for awhile now. I tried to read your latest post and I wasn’t allowed to. 🙁
Kim
52PostNBeam says
I recall posting a handful of hutches on the forum back in my posting days, I still have the photos. Some were very cool, with electrical outlets. None had the YT logo plate attached though. Love the fake tile!
JessFaith says
Hi all! I’m the one who posted this hutch for sale. I could not believe it when I found this at a yardsale in DE, I was only visiting lol. I knew I had found something special! I’ve had it for a while now and I’m letting it go. But, I still have my vintage diner style table and chairs which also matches red and white 🙂
Debbie says
I am just now seeing your cabinet for the first time 5/6/2015. Sweet!
Robin, NV says
I love hutches – especially the old timey ones that have flour bins and drawers for dry goods. For a long time, prior to fully cabinet-ized kitchens, the hutch was the heart of the kitchen.
I could be wrong but I think steel cabinets were not as popular out west. It might have to do with our proximity to forests in the Pacific Northwest but most older homes around here have wood cabinets.
Jason says
I suppose I am not going to yard sales here in Delaware as I should, if this is what I could have come home with!
Laura E. says
My 1950 Youngstown kitchen has this style of pull. If I had the space for it I’d definitely get it–it matches my kitchen perfectly.
Karin from Toronto says
WOW, cool hutch. I have a mini version of this. Does anyone have one the small freestanding steel kitchen cabinets? Mine doesn’t have an upper part, just a steel edged countertop with a red cracked ice laminate. The bottom has a pullout drawer, a door with a cool chrome pull and two shelves for lots o’ storage. Story idea? I’ve seen a fair number of these cabinets on Craigslist and local forums. Uploader challenge? Story idea?
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Sarah g (roundhouse) says
I’ve got one of these too! It’s top is kinda aqua/greenish cracked ice. I bought it at a yard sale for $5 and the bottom is pretty much rusted out (i will eventually cut off rusty part and replace bottom with wood painted black) but it lives in my laundry room and serves as storage and a folding table.
Jana (Berniecat) says
oooh, how I wish I lived in Nashville right now. What a wonderful find! I especially like the side shelves inset between the top and bottom parts of the shelves — very cute detail!
nina462 says
Oooh! a metal Hoosier cabinet – nice.
Jay says
I’m laughing because I am in PA, the seller is in Nashville but he bought it in De. I wonder if the person he bought it from knew anything about it. I am guessing late 40s early 50s. The new houses built post war and the older homes that saw kitchen remodeling at the time usually incorporated fitted cabinets. It would be a nice complimentary piece in a breakfast nook for the vintage toaster and coffe pot. I wonder how many were actually produced.
Janet in CT says
Jay, I agree on the toaster; that hole in the back at the top looks to be for an electrical cord to pass through. And on the date – the red counter top is the same as the brown one that was in this 1948 cape (cabinets now in the basement), and in my mother’s kitchen from 1947. I don’t know what that stuff is or what it is called, but this one looks just as stained and worn as the ones here are. What a gem, and make an offer?! A deal for sure.